Air-driven novelty



June 17, 1930. w MORELAND 1,764,180

AIR DRIVEN NOVELTY Filed April 17. 1929 IN VEN TOR.

Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES WILLIAM MORELAND, 01

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY AIR-DRIVEN NOVELTY Application filed April 17,

This invention relates to air driven novelties which may be used as a toy, or as an advertising display and has for an object to provide novelties of this kind which are low in cost, easily taken apart and assembled and can be packed in small space. Another object of the invention is to secure an attractive decoration driven by air currents such as are produced by convection currents of air from a radiator, or from a fan and a further object of the invention is to indicate the direction of air currents. These and other objects of the invention will be understood from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which, Fig. 1, is an elevation of a device embodying my invention, Fi 2 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1, ig. 3 is a profile of one of the rotating elements in the form of an airplane, Figs. 4 and 5 are details of the bearing, Fig. 6 is another form of rotating element that may be used with this invention and Fig. 7 is a side View of Fig. 6.

This device comprises a stem of wire secured to a base, or formed to stand upright. This stem is pointed and upon the point the bearing plate rests in a cone shaped hearing. A pair of diametrically projecting arms are detachably secured to the bearing plate and I have secured at their outer ends, figures simulating airplanes. These figures are non-rotating on the supporting arms and are provided with a pair of wings and a body or fuselage. The wings are notched to the body with their forward edges deflected downwards so that they act as inclined planes against upward currents of air, thereby causing rotation of the device by upward currents of air, such as the convection currents of air from a radiator. The airplanes are provided with colored decorations as desired.

Themodified form shown in Fig. 6 comprises an octagon vane mounted on the stem having decorative edges which may be provided with advertisements, or with a succession of pictures from a motion picture film which, when viewed through a sighting device, will give the effect of animation to the pictures.

In the drawings, 11 is the base, preferably parallel sides as indicated. By spreading 1929; Serial No. 355,911.

made from sheet metal with a tongue punched therefrom at 13-and turned over as indicated at 12 in 8 formation. This tongue is perforated to receive the wire stem ,14 on the two the jaws engaging the stem, the latter is firmly clutched in an upright position and is easily removed from the base.

The bearing plate 15is constructed in the form of a small disc with a conical depression in the centre at 16 which rests upon the pointed end of 14; This plate is provided with a cleat at 17 through which the arm 18 is passed until it engages the incline of the cone 16 as indicated at 19.v The arm 18 is made from flat spring stock and is held in place by the tension of theend 19 deflected by cone 16.

The opposite arm 20 is latched to the bearing plate by a turned up end-at 22 engaging an opening in the plate as indicated at 22 in Fig. 4 while the arm 20 passes through a slot at 21 in the turned over edge of plate 15. The method of unlatching the arm 20 is illustrated in the side elevation in Fig. 5. I The arm 18 is offset at 26 and the arm 20 is offset at 25 with the object of lowering the supported figures below the point of support in the bearing plate. These arms pass through slots at 28 in the sides of the figures and have their outer ends turned up as indicated at 27 whereby the figures are held horizontal in a non-turning position on the flat strip composing the arms.

The figures are preferably made from cardboard which may be lithographed or decorated as desired. 7 These comprise a loop 29 -30 forming the bodyof the device upon which the wings 31 and 32 are secured. It will be observed that the body is notched at b for the rear wing and at (Z for the forward wing. The rear wing is notched at 34 on each side of the centre portion 42 and the forward wing is notched at 33 on each side of the centre section 41. r

The wings are curved as indicated at a and 0, Fig. 3 to fit the notches in the body. This places the wings under tension and the middle sections 41 and 42 space the sides 29-30 apart, thereby making a structure that is light, rigid and easily assembled. It will be L00 noted that the notches in the body at b and d incline downwards towards the front thus deflecting the forward edge of the wings and causing the wings to act substantially as an 5 inclined plane which projects the device forward in response to upward air currents. This causes continuous rotation of the figures even under very slight air currents.

The modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 10 is less expensive than the form described. This comprises a rotating vane 51 having a central hearing at 16 engaging stem 14 and provided with the air vanes 52. The edges of this vane are turned over to form a flange 15 upon which decorative scenes may be placed as indicated at 53. These pictures may be made to follow each oher in sequence giving the eifect of animation to the scene. Additional pictures may be suspended from the octagon panels such as 54 suspended from the stem 55 secured to the panel at 56.

The arrangement described shows a preferred form of my invention, which, it should be understood admit-s of modifications without departing from the intent and spirit thereof.

Attention is directed to the novel construction of the airplane figures which are cut from sheet stock and make a rigid assembly. Figures of this type may be supplied as cut-outs with newspapers apart from the rotating features of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a collapsible air driven novelt as described, the combination, a stand inc uding a vertical pivot, a bearing plate mounted for rotation on said pivot, said plate being provided with a cone shaped projection forming the bearing, and with a cleat, a fiat spring arm engaging the face of said plate and passing through said cleat and engaging said cone shaped projection whereby tension is applied to said arm and a display figure supported from the outer end of said arm.

' In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM MORELAND. 

